


Iris' New Best Friend

by madlysanecatlady



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Fluff, Gladnis, M/M, Matchmaker Iris, babysitter ignis, brotherhood era, this got way longer than i meant to
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-20 21:34:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,650
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13726422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madlysanecatlady/pseuds/madlysanecatlady
Summary: Iris goes to the Citadel to visit Gladio, but he isn't around. Ignis steps in.





	Iris' New Best Friend

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly hadn't meant for it to get this long but sweet baby Iris and babysitter Ignis were just a joy for me so here we are.

The guards all began to relax as the young girl in front of them went quiet, seemingly out of arguments to make with them. Ignis knew they thought they had won. He knew better. Like the receding of the water before a tidal wave, Iris was simply gearing up for what he assumed would be a truly _spectacular_ tantrum. Part of him, the smaller and more vengeful part, was curious as to how the guards would handle _that_ particular experience. He owed them nothing; the citadel guards were more often than not rather curt with him, not to mention the things they said about him when they thought he wasn’t around to hear. The larger and more compassionate part of him reasoned that he couldn’t be _certain_ these were the same guards he had heard talking about him a few days earlier, and even if they _were_ , how petty would he need to be in order to leave them here in a situation for which they were sorely underprepared? Not to mention leaving the poor girl at their inept mercy.

With a weary sigh, Ignis readjusted the collection of files and folders in his left arm and weaved his way between the guards to sink down to Iris’ level, one knee sitting on what was sure to be a _filthy_ entrance hall carpet. Ignis pushed that thought from his mind; his trousers were not the concern right now. He smiled kindly at her, noting that her face lit up at the sight of a face she recognised, albeit likely fleetingly, given how seldom Ignis would call upon the Amicitia residence. Usually her older brother would be the one bothering _him_ at home. When it seemed the tantrum had been averted, or at least put on hold until Iris could be certain she had found an ally, Ignis spoke, careful not to sound condescending as the guards had moments earlier; he knew that would only rile the girl up. ‘To what do we owe the pleasure of a visit from the young Lady Amicitia?’

She squared her tiny shoulders with firm resolution. Ignis knew she was here for a very good reason, and she would not be backing down until she got what she wanted. He merely hoped her request was in the realm of his capabilities. She looked him straight in the eye, amber irises drilling into emerald and said, slowly, and clearly, ‘I want to see my brother. _Please_ ,’ she added, in a clear attempt to win Ignis over.

Ignis felt his spirits drop slightly. Her brother was currently assisting his father with an escort out of town. He would be back by day’s end, but that was still several hours away. He knew he had no hope of stalling her for that length of time. One of the guards cut in, sounding distinctly annoyed. ‘I’ve already told her a few hundred times that it’s impossible. She’s going to have to go home and wait patiently like a good little girl.’

Ignis felt a flair of annoyance at the dark shadow that crossed the young girl’s face at hearing that. He stood and turned to the guard, his expression sharp and disapproving. ‘You would do well to mind your manners with the young lady. Her request is a rather reasonable one, albeit with poor timing. Perhaps,’ he looked at Iris thoughtfully, remembering an incident that had taken place a month or so earlier and feeling an idea beginning to form in his sharp mind. ‘Perhaps if the young lady would like to accompany me, I can better glean a sense of the situation and help her to the best of my ability?’

Iris beamed. ‘I’d like that, Mr. Science.’

Ignis felt a chuckle bubble up into his throat before he could catch himself. ‘It’s Scientia, actually. But you can simply call me Ignis.’ He held out his free hand for her to take. ‘Well, come along then. You can tell me what it is that you need your brother for while I go and deliver these files to the council.’ He nodded curtly at the guard still hovering uncertainly at his shoulder. ‘Thank you, then. I’ll be taking it from here.’

‘Sure, whatever,’ the guard shrugged, clearly figuring he couldn’t get into trouble for letting her into the castle if Ignis had gone out of his way to take Iris under his wing. ‘She’s your problem now, man.’

‘She is most certainly not a problem,’ Ignis replied haughtily as Iris took his hand and allowed him to lead her towards the large steps that led deeper into the citadel. She turned her head to stick her tongue out at the guard, who huffed.

‘Thank you, Mr. Ignis,’ Iris said quietly as they went up the stairs, rather slower than Ignis was used to with such a short-legged person in tow. ‘That guard was being a real butthead. And Gladdy’s always complaining that people say _you’re_ the one always being strict and heartless. Those guys are stupid.’

Ignis decided he rather like the child in that moment, and allowed a small smile to grace his normally stern features. ‘Not _stupid_ , per se just… blindly following orders without taking the time to critically think or assess the situation.’

‘Stupid,’ Iris repeated stubbornly, obviously still seething about the way the guards had been talking down to her.

Ignis honestly rather agreed with her assessment, having had his fair share of _issues_ in dealing with the bullheaded entrance guards, but held his tongue, not wanting to seem unprofessional, especially to a child very likely to repeat whatever she heard to her brother and father. That was the last thing he wanted or needed. Instead, he thought for a moment, choosing his words carefully, doing his best to sound as diplomatic as possible while still retaining his currently achieved status as an ally to the young girl. ‘Let’s simply leave it at… there’s a rather good reason they are tasked with a door-greeting job rather than important things like your brother.’

‘Gladdy’s smart,’ Iris agreed. ‘Where is he? They told me I couldn’t see him, but they didn’t say _why_ and I don’t like that at all.’

Ignis looked down at her and felt an odd ache in his chest as he saw the fierce worry overtaking the girl’s soft features. She wasn’t a brat throwing tantrums because she wasn’t getting her way like the guards thought, she was merely a child who was very worried about her older brother. The way the guards had told her she wouldn’t be able to see Gladio had likely scared her. He squeezed her small hand in gentle reassurance. ‘Not to worry, your brother is absolutely _fine_. He’s merely out of the city for the good part of today, helping your father escort a dignitary back home. It’s not a dangerous task, merely a lengthy one. They are not due to return for a few hours still, but I think we can find a way to occupy that time together, don’t you?’

‘You’re not lying to me, are you Mr. Ignis?’ Iris eyed him shrewdly, clearly used to empty promises and placations from other staff in the citadel when she had previously been here unannounced to visit her absent brother or father.

‘I would never deign to, young Iris,’ Ignis shook his head. ‘You’re far too intelligent for me to think I could get away with such deception. And please, do drop the formalities. Ignis will suffice. We will be spending today as friends, after all.’

Iris looked pleased at that and nodded. ‘So what’re you going to do today? Maybe I can help! Daddy and Gladdy keep telling me I’m destined to be a super smart strategist one day.’

‘Now that I do not doubt,’ Ignis smiled, remembering the few times Gladio had told him about Iris’ antics and negotiations for things like later bed times and new toys. From what he had heard during their sparring sessions and late-night paperwork sessions, Iris was a masterful strategist already. She merely needed to gain more experience in the world to apply those skills effectively. ‘Well, I need only drop off these files for the council members upstairs, and then my day is perfectly free to spend in whichever way you choose.’

That was a blatant lie. Ignis had _tonnes_ of paperwork waiting for him in his office, not to mention the fact that he would need to check in on Noctis to see how he was moving along on his homework when he returned from school, which, Ignis glanced down at his watch, would be very shortly.

It seemed Iris didn’t believe him. She looked at him with a pout. ‘I thought you said you wouldn’t try lying to me? Gladdy keeps saying how you’re always too busy to just take an afternoon off and goof around like you should be able to. He would be mad at me for making you miss your work. _And,_ ’ she added with a tug on his hand. ‘I want to help. I want to learn more about what goes on here where daddy and Gladdy work. Maybe then I can help them too.’

Ignis got the feeling Gladio and Clarus were often fielding curious questions from Iris, who genuinely seemed to want to be of some use to them. He also got the feeling that both were firmly opposed to the idea of Iris spending time learning about their work while she could be spending time playing and making friends like a normal child should. He had seen just how protective Gladio was of his younger sister, and if anything, suspected Clarus to be even more so. He wondered briefly if he would be crossing a line in giving in to her pleas and telling her a little bit about the work he was doing. But, even as he thought that, her amber eyes, so reminiscent of her older brothers, shimmered up at him and broke down any protests forming in his throat. He sighed. ‘I will make you a deal, Iris. I’ll go about a few of my duties today with you, and tell you about why I’m doing them, and then we will spend some time doing something _fun_ , alright?’

Iris nodded, looking triumphant. ‘No one _ever_ wants to let me watch them work or tell me what’s going on… or anything! Thank you, Ignis! This makes me really happy.’

Ignis couldn’t help but return her smile, quite pleased to see a fiery curiosity in the young Amicitia. He knew she would grow up to be as sharp and successful as her brother, if not even more so. Although, as he thought about it, he could hardly imagine anyone comparing to Gladio, either in wit or in capability. Of course, he figured he might be a bit biased there, really. Gladio was his best friend, really his only friend other than the young prince he was charged with keeping alive and healthy, which, while sad to an outside viewer, was just how Ignis liked it.

‘So you’re friends with my brother, right?’ Iris asked conversationally as he led her to one of the many lifts that would take them to the upper levels of the citadel, where most of the kingdom’s strategic and diplomatic work took place.

‘Indeed,’ Ignis nodded, readjusting the files in his left hand. ‘Your brother is one of my closest friends. Expected, what with the mount of time we need to spend planning Prince Noctis’ schedule.’

‘Yeah, but how?’ Iris asked blankly, looking up at him in open confusion. ‘You’re, well, from what I’m told, _really_ smart and super strict and booky and all that. And Gladdy’s… Gladdy likes punching things and eating cup noodles. You don’t really do any of the same stuff. Isn’t that how you make friends? By doing the same stuff?’

‘Sometimes,’ Ignis shrugged, a little ruffled by the question. Her reasoning seemed to imply that he and Gladio were friends merely out of convenience, which did _not_ sit well with him at all. Neither did Iris’ clear misconceptions about her brother’s personal interests. He took a breath to steady himself, hoping to not seem overly defensive as he explained. ‘Although, I would think you’d know more about your brother’s daily habits than that, dear child. He is certainly a gifted fighter and yes, he does have a rather troubling, shall we say, fondness for those salty and otherwise nutritionally void cup noodles, but there is much more to him than that. Gladio has a sharp mind and burning curiosity, not unlike yourself. He is kind, and thoughtful, and spends a great deal of his free time reading. I believe he’s currently reading up on Tenebraean history; he’s been telling me about the things he’s learned. He’s a very intelligent person, and rather nice to have a conversation with when time permits. I look forward to time to chat with him at the end of the day when we regroup and devise Noctis’ training plan for the next day.’

Ignis thought he saw a creep of… _something_ in Iris’ eyes. Was it triumph? Perhaps mirth? Whatever it was, it was gone in an instant as she smiled. ‘You really like Gladdy, huh? I’m glad. He needs friends. Besides, he likes you a lot too. He never stops talking about you at home when I ask him about his day.’

Ignis felt an odd warmth bubbling up into his chest from the pit of his stomach. Gladio spoke about him at home with his family? And frequently too, he gathered. He wondered what that meant. He really wanted to ask Iris what he talked about, but refrained, not wanting to seem nosy. Instead, he opted to go for politely interested, merely keeping the conversation going as they walked together. ‘Does he now?’

‘Oh yeah,’ Iris nodded seriously, looking rather pleased to have someone seem so interested in hearing her talk. Ignis figured she probably didn’t get much of that, what with her father and brother always so busy with work, and seeing how the guards treated her, he figured the poor girl was starved for attention. He meant to change the topic to something less likely to cause the butterflies that were currently swarming in his stomach to keep flying, but didn’t as she continued. ‘It’s always “Iggy did this today” or “Iggy said that and it was nice”. Daddy keeps saying he looks forward to attending the wedding and then Gladio keeps getting all grumpy with him. I don’t know why. He could marry a lot worse than you. But… I love Gladdy and everything, but you could probably do better.’

Ignis felt the butterflies take up flight at double-time in his stomach, along with his cheeks and ears flooding with what he knew was likely a rather impressive shade of red if the burning feeling was any indication. He fumbled a minute, both with the files in his hand and the words tangling on his tongue, before taking a deep, rattled breath, trying to will the blood in his head back into circulation before anyone could pass them in the hallways and see him in such an undignified state of embarrassment.

‘You don’t _have_ to,’ Iris said, staring at the beet-red man beside her, clearly assuming he was upset about the prospect of “doing better” than Gladio. ‘I’d be happy if he married you. You’re really nice, Ignis. I like you a lot, and I think Daddy does too.’

Ignis _really_ needed to change the topic of conversation before he had an aneurysm or something. He blinked fiercely for a moment, breathing deeply, trying his best to calm himself down and clear his head. He fumbled with the files again. ‘I, er, rather like you too, Iris. You’re a very sweet, albeit startlingly talkative girl.’

‘Is that bad?’ she asked, looking chastised. Ignis wondered if she was frequently told off by adults around her for talking too much. ‘I’m sorry.’

‘It’s not bad,’ Ignis assured her, pleased to at last feel the hammering of his heart dying down as he diverted the course of conversation. ‘It’s just a bit surprising, really. Your brother is generally rather quiet unless something’s piqued his interest.’ He wanted to kick himself. There he’d gone and circled right back to Gladio himself. He already felt his heart picking up pace again. He readjusted the already straight files again, just for something to distract himself with.

‘Can I help carry?’ Iris asked, looking at the pile for file folders in the crowded grip of Ignis’ left arm. ‘I can be useful doing that, right?’

‘Of course,’ Ignis handed her the topmost file to carry, wanting her to feel as though she were contributing. ‘This is a very important file, too. It’s going to a very important member of the Kingsglaive. You know of the Glaive, correct?’

Iris nodded. ‘Some of them visit Gladdy sometimes to see if he wants to come to parties with them. Sometimes he goes. Some of them are very nice.’

‘Hmm, if it’s partygoers you know, you might have met this one,’ Ignis smirked, leading the way towards the quarters in which the Glaive members spent their time between training sessions and assignments. Iris followed, clutching the file tightly to her chest with one hand, the other still firmly gripping Ignis’, as though she were afraid he might leave her behind if she let go.

He rapped sharply twice on the door before pushing his way into the cavernous sitting area, where a few members of the Glaive were kicked back and chatting. They all looked up at Ignis, unsurprised to see him delivering daily briefings to them. A few of them, however, raised their eyebrows at Iris, who stood shyly behind Ignis’ legs as they all stared at her.

Ignis pulled gently on her hand to bring her out of hiding. He smiled reassuringly down at her. ‘You have the file, Iris. Please give it to Mr. Ulric. The Glaive will be needing their briefing.’

Iris perked up at seeing Nyx Ulric grinning at her. She knew him; he was often visiting Gladio to drop off training materials and other things he borrowed from her brother. She walked proudly over to him and handed him the black file folder, happy to be helping with important work. If only Gladio and her father could see her, then they would _have_ to admit she was ready to learn more about their work.

Nyx grinned at her and accepted the file, taking a moment to ruffle her hair. ‘You Scientia’s new assistant, Iris? He probably needs someone with your energy to keep up with all his work, huh? Maybe now he can finally kick back and get that stick out of his… uh, yeah. Good job, kid.’

‘Nice save, Nyx,’ Crowe Altius rolled her eyes from her spot sprawled out on one of the plush armchairs. She chuckled appreciatively at Ignis’ brief flash of offence before he settled back into his impassive expression. ‘He doesn’t mean it really, Scientia. Nyx just likes to think everyone wants to party with us and gets offended when he finds out they don’t.’

Ignis gave a curt nod and beckoned Iris back over to him. ‘Please read that briefing as soon as you can. And let someone know if you need any more details. Come along, Iris. We’ve got plenty more deliveries to make before Noctis gets back from school.’

‘Thanks Scientia,’ Nyx said after a beat. ‘And uh, sorry about that. I was only teasing.’

‘Of course,’ Ignis nodded again before taking his leave, not missing the way Nyx told the others “You know, I never took him the for sweet with kids type, did you?”. Ignis wasn’t sure if he should be offended or not. He had never given anyone reason to believe he was particularly gifted with children, of course, other than ensuring Noctis was kept happy and healthy since they were both much younger. But still he wondered if perhaps his serious demeanour were giving people the idea that he was somehow heartless, or in the very least, too cold and aloof to be any good with sweet and bubbly children like Iris.

‘What did Nyx mean?’ Iris asked brightly, following him down the hall towards the Crownsguard quarters next for their daily briefing delivery. ‘What stick? Where is it? I don’t see a stick.’

Ignis stifled a laugh at the innocence in the question. He smiled at her. ‘Mr. Ulric was simply using a rather colourful metaphor to imply that I don’t like to have fun. He, along with many of the other soldiers, seem to think I work far too much to ever enjoy my life.’

‘Do you?’ she looked concerned before holding her hand out for the next file in Ignis’ grip.

He smiled and handed over the Crownsguard briefings, two purple folders this time, before answering. ‘I’m content. There is much to be done, and I am the best person to get it done. And I _do_ have your brother making sure I at least take time to eat every once and a while. He’s given up on trying to force me to sleep.’

‘Aww, how?’ Iris looked jealous. ‘He still makes me go to bed too early! How can I make him let me stay up too?’

Ignis shook his head. ‘I never said it was a good thing, Iris. Sleep is very important. I’m often doing myself a disservice in denying myself a full-night’s rest in favour of getting ahead in my work. I wouldn’t dream of encouraging that type of habit for you as well. A good night’s sleep is very important if you want to grow up to be as strong and intelligent as your brother.’ Ignis paused, catching himself once again bringing up Gladio. He wondered if he always talked this much about his best friend to other people. He supposed there was not much danger in that, given he rarely spoke to anyone other than Gladio in the first place. Noctis surely would have mentioned something if he made a habit of it with him. Ignis took another calming breath, lest the butterflies start their aerial assault again on his stomach. Gladio was a commonality between Iris and himself. It was natural to draw many parts of conversation from such a shared topic of interest. Not that he was _interested_ in Gladio, of course. Ignis mentally kicked himself. Who was he kidding? Certainly not himself.

‘Ignis, are you ok?’ Iris asked, drawing his attention back down to her. He realised he had come to a full stop in the middle of the hallway and mentally shook himself. Perhaps his sleepless nights were getting to him after all.

‘Sorry, Iris, I got lost in thought for a moment,’ Ignis continued forward. ‘Although I don’t usually stop dead in the middle of the hallway when I do.’

‘Maybe you’re tired,’ she offered thoughtfully. ‘Gladdy says I get spacey when I stay up too late and uses that as an excuse to force me to bed early the next day. You should let him tell you to go to bed sometimes. I bet he’d feel a lot better and worry less about you.’

‘He… worries about me?’ Ignis asked slowly, unsure if he wanted to venture down this path of conversation, given the almost-meltdown he’d had last time Iris was telling him about his being a typical conversation topic from her brother.

‘All the time,’ Iris nodded solemnly. ‘He keeps telling daddy “why won’t he just take a damn break already? He’s going to run himself dead.” I think he just wants to take care of you, like he does me and daddy.’

Ignis smiled in spite of his fraying nerves. Her impression of her older brother was honestly rather spot-on, despite the glaring disparity in vocal pitch. ‘Perhaps I will take his advice on occasion, if you believe it will make him feel better.’

Iris simply nodded, following him into the Crownsguard quarters. Ignis did not knock this time, merely swinging open the door and leading the way in. Iris soon saw why, as the room’s only occupant, Marshall of the Crownsguard, Cor Leonis greeted him with a smile from behind the desk where he was poring over a map of Lucis.

‘Iris, if you please,’ Ignis said by way of urging the rather starstruck-looking girl forward with the briefing folders.

She shakily stepped forward, placing the folders into Cor’s large, calloused hand with a nervous smile. She, of course, knew who this man was. He was a near-constant presence when Iris visited both her father and her brother in the citadel, although he rarely spoke much, preferring to leave her family time with her while he continued his own training routines.

‘I take it both of you are waiting for Gladiolus’ return?’ Cor said quietly, popping open the first folder and reading straight away. ‘Ignis, you know you’re allowed to train without him, right? You don’t need him to show you how to fight anymore. You could probably manoeuvre circles around him by now. His strength’d be no match for your speed.’

Ignis was rather taken aback. Cor was rarely so chatty, nor was he ever this complimentary towards any of his soldiers. Of course, he also saw the shadow of a reprimand behind the Marshall’s amusement; he knew he slacked in his training when Gladio went out on long assignments. Perhaps Cor thought he was simply lacking in self-confidence and would only train with Gladio there to help him.

‘Gladdy would be sad,’ Iris piped up unexpectedly. ‘He likes training with Ignis. He says otherwise they’d hardly get to spend any time together.’

Ignis saw the shadow of a knowing smile cross Cor’s face before he nodded. ‘Thanks for the reports Ignis, Iris. I’ll let you get back to your work. I see you’ve got a couple more stops to make.’

‘Not a problem, Marshall,’ Ignis nodded back. ‘I promise you, training remains a top priority.’

‘I’m sure it does. Thanks again.’ And with that, Cor became fully engrossed in the reports, leaving Ignis and Iris to make a silent exit.

‘So what are we delivering, anyways?’ Iris asked, holding out her hands for the next three folders, orange this time, and much thicker than the last ones. ‘You promised you’d tell me _why_ we have to bring all these folders around.’

‘That I did,’ Ignis nodded. ‘These are strategy reports for different branches of the Lucian government, devised by myself and the other advisors. It’s best to hand-deliver single copies to better control who can read them, to make sure the information stays safe.’

‘So this is really important top-secret stuff, right?’ Iris puffed up proudly. ‘And you’re trusting _me_ to help you!’

‘Of course,’ Ignis said kindly, really happy to see that his plan to keep Iris occupied was succeeding. And it was barely even eating into his work yet. He smiled. ‘I can’t think of anyone better to help me than you. Now, let’s hurry and make these last two deliveries so we can be ready for Noctis when he gets back from school. I think he might like a chance to take a break from coursework and play for a little while. Don’t you think that will be nice?’

‘Yeah,’ Iris agreed, clearly very pleased to know she was also being trusted as a playmate for the prince. She grinned. ‘You know, I see why my brother loves you so much. You’re really nice.’

‘He, er, what now?’ Ignis stared at her and blindly led the way into the next space, an open-concept office space with about eight desks spread out around the room, each occupied by a frazzled-looking council clerk. He mentally kicked himself again for the roaring of hopeful butterflies that had started up again in his stomach at her use of the word “love”. She was merely a child, for goodness’ sake. Of course she didn’t mean it that way. He was surely losing it if he was about to allow the innocent babblings of a child give him any hope that Gladio would one day come to see him as anything more than a friend.

Iris ignored his hushed and strangled request for clarification, instead handing over the stack of reports to the clerk Ignis pointed out for her. She turned back to him expectantly, holding out her hands for the final report. A single royal blue folder with a stack of pages so tall they were almost spilling out. Ignis hesitated for a fraction of a second; this _was_ the king’s personal briefing file after all, but thought better of himself, moving to hand it over.

It seemed Iris’ sharp eyes had picked up on his hesitation however, and she visibly drooped. ‘This one’s too important to trust me with, isn’t it?’

Ignis wanted to kick himself for even hesitating when he saw the defeated look on her girlish face. He shook his head quickly. ‘I simply thought this one might be a bit heavier than you’d be comfortable carrying. It’s got copies of basically everything we just handed out.’

‘Oh,’ Iris accepted the large folder, releasing Ignis’ hand to carry it with both arms. She looked up at him. ‘Why?’

‘Because this folder goes straight to His Majesty,’ Ignis explained, smiling when Iris’ face lit up as he knew it would when he told her just how important this particular file was. ‘This will be the most important thing you help me with today. Not very many people get to say they’ve helped keep the king informed of this week’s events. You should be very proud.’

Iris clearly was. She was practically vibrating with excitement as Ignis led her through the citadel and into the royal throne room, where the king himself stood, speaking with one of his advisors.

‘Ah, here are the briefings now,’ King Regis smiled at the two mismatched figures approaching him. ‘My, my, Mr. Scientia, you seem to have found yourself a rather energetic and enthusiastic assistant today.’

‘I’m Iris,’ she announced, handing over the large folder. She smiled sweetly at him. ‘Here you go, your majesty.’

‘You must be Clarus’ daughter,’ Regis accepted the file graciously. ‘No doubt come looking for him or your brother? I’m sad to say I’ve had to send both of them out of town today. They should be back later, I’m sure?’ he looked at Ignis expectantly.

‘Yes, sir,’ he nodded seriously. ‘My calculations estimate that, without serious traffic delays, they should return around five o’clock this evening. Should my math prove correct, of course.’

‘I’ve not seen you get a problem wrong once yet,’ Regis laughed. ‘There’s a reason I chose _you_ to mentor my son, Mr. Scientia. I’ve never seen a sharper mind than yours.’

Ignis blushed a delicate pink with pleasure at such high praise from the king himself, earning another chuckle from the king as he stammered out a thank you.

With that, Ignis’ most pressing task for the day was complete. He held his hand back out for Iris to take, and led her out of the throne room. He smiled at her. ‘Thank you for your help, Iris. Not only was it nice to have someone help carry those heavy files, it’s nice to have some company while I do it.’

Iris looked highly pleased with herself. ‘Ok, so what do we do next?’

Ignis shrugged. ‘It’s up to you. I’m usually retiring to my office right now to catch up on paperwork until Noctis arrives and comes to find me. I can appreciate that this might not be the most interesting of activities for you to sit through.’

‘Maybe I can help you with that too?’ Iris asked hopefully.

Ignis shook his head. ‘Likely not. It’s rather mundane and needs to be completed by me.’ He thought for a moment. ‘I may have some yarn left over from the hat Noctis had requested last winter. Perhaps you would like to make something for your brother while we wait?’

Iris nodded excitedly, following Ignis back through the citadel and to his office. She looked around curiously when he opened the door for her, and rather decided she liked his taste in décor. The desk was glass and kept glisteningly clean, a few pens and papers the only items save for the laptop placed carefully in the centre of its surface. The walls were a muted lavender, which meshed rather nicely with the deep plum sofa Ignis had acquired in order to catch a few naps in his office on particularly busy nights. Frosted glass cabinets lined the wall behind the desk, while a series of large and crammed bookshelves lined the wall next to the sofa. She smiled. ‘It’s so pretty in here. I love it.’

Ignis smiled, rather pleased to have the approval of both Amicitia siblings on his décor sense. ‘I do like to have subtle comforts here. I spend a great deal of time in this office.’

‘Gladdy keeps saying he’s counting down the days until you just move right in,’ Iris nodded. ‘He says he keeps catching you sleeping in here instead of at home.’

Ignis frowned, remembering more than one occasion he had woken up to find himself covered with a blanket he had been certain he hadn’t gotten for himself. It appeared Gladio had been looking in on him and ensuring Ignis didn’t catch his death from cold while still allowing him to get the sleep he so needed on the occasions he fell asleep doing his paperwork like that. He was starting to get that warm hopeful feeling in his chest again, the one he would need to quash quickly lest he get his heart broken when his heart caught up to reality and realised Gladio was merely being a good friend and nothing more.

Iris looked to Ignis expectantly, clearly looking to him for some sort of direction. He smiled. ‘Please, have a seat. I will find you something to do.’ He leaned over and cleared the paperwork from the glass coffee table next to the sofa so Iris would have a decent surface on which to work. He then went into one of the cabinets to retrieve the ball of yarn balls he knew he had in there. He figured a girl around Iris’ age would be interesting in crafts and things like braiding. This would surely keep her occupied at least for a short while.

He had honestly meant to leave her to it and get started on the day’s paperwork. But he soon found himself drawn in by curiosity as she set about selecting the most garish pinks she could find to braid together in an intricate pattern. Ignis was frankly impressed in her ability as she quickly and surely blended the pink and red yarns to create a band with hearts going along it. She smiled up at him. ‘I’m making a bracelet for Gladdy. Do you want to try?’

Ignis was taken aback by the offer but he soon found himself sitting next to her on the sofa, and under her careful tutelage, was braiding a simple checkered pattern out of two shades of green. It was surprisingly fun, Ignis found, to create simple strands with Iris, who was far more practised than he, and already onto her second bracelet, this time purple and silver diamonds. Ignis was actually a little jealous of the deftness in her fingers as she braided with practiced ease.

Ignis barely noticed the time flying by as he set about trying to replicate Iris’ diamond pattern with some pink wool, actually like the way the two shades of pink blended together, even as he admitted they were frightfully garish. He was almost finished the second bracelet by the time Noctis arrived, looking beyond shocked at the sight of Ignis and Iris sitting together braiding girlish bracelets. He snorted, drawing Ignis’ attention away form the bracelet in front of him. ‘Wow Ignis, is this a new duty they’ve given you? Official bracelet braider to the crown?’

Ignis rolled his eyes. ‘Pull up a chair, Noct. Iris is teaching me how to make zigzag patterns next. Perhaps you could do to learn a craft of patience and precision.’

‘What? You’re not going to force me into homework straight away?’ Noctis actually went over to slap a hand to Ignis’ forehead, feeling for fever. ‘Are you ok?’

Ignis huffed. ‘I’m fine. We simply have a guest with us this afternoon. Perhaps you would like to take some time to play with her?’

Noctis looked suspicious, as though wondering if Ignis were attempting to play some sort of trick on him, before shrugging and sinking to the floor on the other side of the coffee table and grabbing a ball of yarn. He looked up with an evil grin when a sudden idea struck him. ‘Hey Ignis? Are you making a BFF bracelet for Gladio? You should. I bet he’d wear it forever and ever.’

Ignis rolled his eyes. ‘You’re beginning to get cocky in your teasing, young prince.’

Noctis laughed and turned to Iris. ‘OK, so show me what to do, ok? I like those squares Ignis is making.’

Ignis took heart in the fact that Noctis seemed content to let Iris show him how to make these bracelets. He seemed to understand that Iris was a little bit of a fan, and was generally being rather sweet with her. It was heartening to see the prince growing up to be a kind young man. Ignis hoped he was entitled to some credit for that.

Noctis reached into the bag of yarn and pulled out a pair of different sized cardboard rings. ‘Ignis? What are these for?’

Ignis’ eyes it up. ‘Oh, those are what I used to make the pompoms on that hat you wanted last winter. I actually got rather good at making those. It was honestly rather fun.’

‘What else can you do with pompoms?’ Iris asked brightly. ‘I saw someone make a cute little teddy bear out of pompoms once. That was super cool!’

Ignis looked at the cardboard rings thoughtfully for a moment before grabbing the ball of yellow yarn and starting to wrap it around the cardboard. Noctis snorted at the concentration on his mentor’s face; it seemed that he had taken it upon himself to see to Iris’ every whim today, for whatever reason. Noctis was happy to go along with it if it meant he didn’t need to do his homework.

Noctis and Iris spent a good deal of time figuring out how to combine a zigzag pattern with hearts, and when they looked up, they saw Ignis sewing two bright yellow pompoms together, heading to his cabinet to find a few scraps of mending fabric to use for a beak and feet. He presented it to Iris and Noctis, as though expecting criticism.

‘Oh it’s so cute!’ Iris squealed delightedly. ‘You should give it to Gladdy. He secretly loves chocobos. He thinks they’re funny.’

‘And what do you think?’ Ignis asked, wondering if she would want it. He couldn’t possibly picture Gladio accepting this ridiculous thing.

‘I like chocobos, but I think moogles are cuter,’ Iris shrugged.

Ignis took that to heart and grabbed the white yarn, setting about making a little moogle friend to go with the little chocobo.

Noctis’ fingers were beginning to cramp up as five o’clock threatened to chime. He stretched widely. ‘Wow, I never thought I’d say this, but I’m tired from putting off my homework.’

Ignis put a finishing touch on the tiny pompom moogle and chuckled. ‘You should go do your homework before supper, Noct. Gladio should be back shortly for Iris and I’ll come help you out then.’

Noctis nodded and hopped to his feet. With a smile and a wave to Iris, he let himself out of the office, leaving Ignis alone to present the moogle to Iris, who squealed in delight.

‘Thank you Ignis,’ she beamed up at him. ‘Today was awesome! You’re a lot of fun. Here,’ she held out a series of garishly patterned bracelets. ‘I made you these to remember today.’

Ignis felt an odd warmth in his chest as he accepted the bracelets. He tied them around his wrist, ensuring they were loose enough for him to slip over his hand later without ruining them. He was a bit of a sentimentalist when it came down to it; he would probably be keeping these bracelets for some time. Iris took after her brother for certain; she made it exceedingly difficult for Ignis to not completely adore her.

He smiled and held out the pink diamond bracelet for her. ‘I think this one suits you better than it does me.’ He felt a swell of pride as she excitedly tied it around her wrist.

‘We’re best friends now, Ignis!’ she grinned. ‘That’s what it means when you exchange these.’

‘Well, I’m honoured to be your friend, Iris,’ Ignis smiled. He pulled out his mobile, figuring he should let Gladio know Iris was here so he could come pick her up when he returned. ‘I let Gladio know you’re here, Iris. He should be back soon. You must be excited to see him, having come all this way by yourself.’

Iris nodded, looking at her feet. Ignis had a feeling there was another reason that Iris had come here today, other than simply missing her brother. He reached out and patted her shoulder. ‘Why did you come here today, Iris? You haven’t made a habit out of unannounced visits, but when you do come, you generally have a reason, don’t you?’

Iris sniffled, looking up at Ignis, tears in her amber eyes, startling the advisor into wary stillness. This was not something he had prepared for after the striking success the day had been. ‘One of the boys in my neighbourhood told me that daddy and Gladdy were on a dangerous assassin trip today and that he hoped I said goodbye to them. I told him it wasn’t true, but then he said his dad works here, and he told him so. I came to check and the guards told me Gladdy and daddy weren’t here. I was scared.’

Ignis wanted to comfort her somehow, but he felt that might be a little out of his area of expertise. Still, he did his best, squeezing her shoulder gently. ‘I believe rumour and legend speak enough for your father’s ability, Iris. You know he’ll be perfectly alright. And I can say form personal experience that your brother is more than capable of taking care of himself. He’s the strongest, most formidable fighter I’ve ever seen. Not to mention he’s rather intimidating to look at to begin with.’

Iris sniffed back her tears and threw her arms around Ignis’ neck, hugging him tightly. ‘Thanks Ignis. You made me feel a lot better.’

Ignis’ phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out, assuming it was Gladio answering his text, but started when he saw Gladio was calling him instead. Shrugging to himself, he answered cheerfully.

‘Well, you don’t sound completely worn down,’ Gladio’s timbre chuckle sounded in his ear. ‘I guess Iris hasn’t completely killed you yet.’

‘Not at all,’ Ignis told him truthfully. ‘We’ve been having quite a lot of fun today, actually. I have to say, I’m surprised to see you calling. Shouldn’t you be here by now?’

‘That’s why I’m calling,’ Gladio said after a moment’s hesitation. ‘I would’ve called anyways, since I know you’ve calculated what time we should get back and probably would’ve been worried when we didn’t show up. But since Iris is with you I knew I definitely had to call. There’s an accident on the highway, so we’re stuck in traffic. We probably won’t be back for another two hours at least. I’ll call Jared and have him come collect Iris. You must be getting tired having her hanging off your arm while you’re trying to work.’

‘Oh, there’s no need for that,’ Ignis said quickly. For one, he had actually rather enjoyed playing host to Iris today and didn’t mind another few hours ahead, and for tow, a bit more selfishly, this meant Gladio would need to come and see him went he got back.

‘What?’ Gladio sounded genuinely shocked. ‘Are you sure, Iggy? I know Iris. She’s probably been a pain in your ass all day long.’

‘Honestly, not at all,’ Ignis told him truthfully. ‘She’s been an utter delight. Would you like to speak to her? I’m sure she’d love to hear from you, she’s been worried about you both.’

‘Oh,’ Ignis could practically hear Gladio’s eyes rolling. ‘She keeps getting it into her head that dad and I are going to die out here or something. Put her on, will ya?’

Ignis handed the phone over to Iris, who had successfully dried her tears on her sleeve. ‘Gladio would like to speak with you.’

‘Hi Gladdy!’ Iris answered the phone brightly. ‘I was worried about you. Ignis let me help him work today. Yeah, he’s been really fun. He’s super nice. I know why you love him so much now. Yes you do. Don’t be embarrassed, Gladdy. He likes you a whole bunch too. He talks about you as much as you talk about him! Ok, ok, love you.’

Ignis’ cheeks were bright pink as he accepted the phone back from Iris. ‘She’s, uh, quite invested in our friendship, it seems,’ he said after a steadying breath.

Gladio laughed appreciatively. ‘Yeah, she knows you’re my best friend. She just wants me to be happy. You’re sure you’re ok with her sticking around till we get back?’

‘Of course, Gladio,’ Ignis smiled at Iris. ‘She’s been an immense help to me today. Besides, she’s just informed me that she and I are best friends now.’

‘Good luck with that, Iggy,’ Gladio snorted. ‘She’s like a bad rash. You’re never going to shake her now. Next thing you know she’s going to be randomly showing up to visit _you_.’

‘Oh, I doubt I have the same pull as you,’ Ignis said airily.

‘Trust me, Iggy,’ Gladio said seriously. ‘You do.’

Ignis felt his cheeks burn. ‘I, er, thank you, I think.’

Gladio’s laugh sounded a little uncomfortable. ‘Ok, I figure it’s about time for you to get started on cooking Noctis’ dinner right? I’ll let you get to that. And seriously, if Iris is too much, let me know right away and I’ll call Jared.’

‘I promise that will not be necessary,’ Ignis smiled. ‘I will see you later.’ He hung up and turned to Iris. ‘It looks like you and I will be extending our day as friends for another few hours. I suppose we should get you fed, huh? I was thinking of making fish tacos for Noctis this evening; does that appeal to you?’

‘That sounds delicious!’ Iris hopped to her feet excitedly. ‘Can I help?’

 

Ignis smiled and held out his hand. Gladio had no idea what he was talking about; Iris was far from being an annoyance. If anything, she was teaching him to have a new kind of fondness for his ordinarily mundane daily duties. He was almost hoping Gladio would take his time and come for her a great deal later than anticipated. Almost.

\---

Gladio was concerned. Not for Iris, not for a second did he think Ignis would ever let any harm come to her, physical or otherwise. No, he was definitely worried about Ignis. He had sounded really strange over the phone earlier; he could only assume Iris had worn him into the ground.

Ignis had never really mentioned liking children very much. Really, other than Noctis, Gladio had never even seen Ignis near anyone younger than himself. The poor guy was probably ridiculously out of his depth. He nearly launched himself out of the car the moment it stopped in front of the citadel, hoping to get there before she wore him down completely. He knew his sister better than anyone; she was a never-ending pool of energy. Not even the incomparable Ignis Scientia would be a fair match with her.

He was pretty much out of breath by the time he sprinted his way up to Ignis’ office through the empty halls. Most _sane_ employees had gone home long ago, leaving only the truly dedicated. And Ignis, who was on another level entirely. He took a moment to gather himself, knowing he’d probably need his wits about him to get Iris out of here and back home with minimal tantrums. She had sounded like she was having a lot of fun, which Gladio knew meant she wouldn’t want to leave.

He knocked once before pushing open the door, bracing himself for the onslaught of excited Iris. He paused, confused, when none came. He looked around, spying Ignis on the sofa, paperwork in hand, pen in mouth, with a tuckered-out Iris curled up on the seat next to him, fast asleep. Gladio was completely shocked. Not only was Ignis somehow still awake and functional after a day with Iris, but he seemed to have outlasted her in whatever exhausting activities she had come up with for them to do.

Ignis pulled the pen out of his mouth to greet him, and Gladio’s eyes watched it slide from Ignis’ lips hungrily before they snapped to the gaudy bracelets around his wrist. How in the world had Iris managed to convince prim and proper Ignis to wear _those_? He coughed. ‘Hey Iggy. Uh, nice bracelets.’

Ignis chuckled. ‘Your sister is very talented,’ he gestured down to the mess of yarn crafts on the coffee table in front of him. ‘She even taught Noct and I how to braid these lovely patterns.’ He held up the green checkered one proudly. ‘I think I’ve turned into quite the bracelet protégé, don’t you?’

Gladio reached out and took the bracelet, examining the carefully braided and knotted bracelet and smiled. ‘Of course you did. This is super cute, Iggy. It’s like you’re a natural at everything you try.’

‘What, do you want it?’ Ignis teased with a roll of his eyes.

‘Well, kind of,’ Gladio admitted. He held out his wrist for Ignis to tie the bracelet around for him.

‘You’re serious?’ Ignis stared up at him, shocked. When Gladio nodded, he obliged and tied it for him. ‘Sometimes I’m afraid I don’t understand you, Gladio.’

‘You obviously worked hard on it,’ Gladio shrugged. ‘And I’ll admit, I’m a bit jealous, what with you and Iris exchanging BFF bracelets without me and all that.’

Ignis smiled. ‘Don’t worry, she made some for you too.’ Ignis reached out and held out the three garishly pink bracelets Iris had made for him. He tied them onto Gladio’s other wrist for him.

‘So you survived Hurricane Iris, huh?’ Gladio sat on the arm of the sofa next to Ignis and threw an arm around his shoulders. ‘How? I _live_ with her and I can barely handle her on one of her difficult days. And like, don’t take this the wrong way Iggy, but you never really struck me as gifted with children.’

Ignis smiled. ‘She’s not difficult at all. She just really wants to feel like someone is listening to her and taking her seriously. She was a delight today. She’s very bright and curious. She reminds me quite a bit of you.’

‘I can’t imagine what sot of crazy shit she spouted all day,’ Gladio chuckled. ‘Did she tell you about the baby chocobo she found in our trash?’

‘No, she mostly just talked about you,’ Ignis shrugged.

‘Oh, did she now?’ Gladio swallowed hard. What kind of secrets had she spilled to Ignis in the five or so hours she’d spent with him?

‘Yeah, she loves you very much,’ Ignis smiled. ‘She was very curious about the kind of work we do here. I think she wants to feel closer to you and your father. She listens to everything you say very carefully. That much was abundantly clear when she kept telling me all the things she knew about me through you. Apparently I am a rather frequent topic of conversation for you two?’

Gladio felt himself go bright red. ‘Well, I mean, you’re my best friend. So a lot of the stories about my day have you in them, right? Plus, I mean, come on, I think about you all the time. So yeah, I guess I talk about you a lot.’

Ignis wanted to ask what Gladio meant by that exactly, but Iris chose that moment to wake up, turning groggily towards Ignis. ‘What time is it? Is Gladdy here yet?’

‘Right here, kiddo,’ Gladio leaned around Ignis to ruffle her hair. ‘Why’d you come here, baby girl? You knew I wasn’t here today, didn’t you? You probably kept Ignis away from all sorts of work today. You can’t do that, Iris.’

‘I’m sorry,’ Iris looked down at the floor, chastised.

‘Oh, not even a little bit,’ Ignis said airily. ‘Iris was a big help today. She helped me carry important briefings, before showing me how to braid these lovely bracelets. She even helped me cook dinner. She has potential in the kitchen. With a little training, I think she’d be a top-notch chef. But of course, I’m sure her talents lie elsewhere. She’s brilliant enough to become a great strategist too.’

Gladio felt he could just kiss Ignis for the words bringing that bright smile to his sister’s face. Of course, he felt he could just kiss him for a variety of other reasons too. He actually had leaned towards him a little bit before catching himself. Ignis looked at him with wide eyes and Gladio wanted to kick himself. He stood up. ‘Alright Iris. It’s time to get you home to bed, huh? You too, Iggy.’

‘Sorry?’ Ignis stared up at him, wondering if he’d heard what he thought he’d heard.

‘You’ve probably had an exhausting day,’ Gladio explained. ‘Forget the paperwork for a night. Come on, I’ll drop Iris off with dad and then I’ll give you a ride home.’

Ignis shook himself. Obviously his mind had been in the gutter there. He stifled a yawn. Perhaps Gladio was right in thinking his day with Iris had perhaps been more tiring than he’d thought.

‘Wait, Ignis made you something, Gladdy!’ Iris said excitedly.

‘I already got it,’ Gladio held up the wrist with the green bracelet on it.

‘No, this,’ Iris held up the little pompom chocobo. ‘Isn’t it super cute? Look! He made me a moogle too!’

Gladio reached out and took the little chocobo in his large hand, a dumb grin plastered on his face. ‘Iggy, this is friggin’ adorable. Is there anything you _can’t_ do?’

Well, he couldn’t seem to muster up the courage to tell Gladio how he felt about him. That was something. Of course, he couldn’t say that, so he merely shrugged, chuckling uncomfortably. He stood up and stretched, putting his paperwork in order on the coffee table. He figured Gladio was probably right in thinking taking one night off to actually just _sleep_ might do him some good. He hadn’t expected Gladio to pull him into a tight hug, yet he found himself enveloped in a warm embrace, and felt himself melting into Gladio before he could stop himself. He felt Gladio’s nose pressing into the racing pulse in his neck, a revelation that only caused the pulse to quicken further, despite his best efforts to reign it in.

‘ _Thank you_ , Iggy,’ Gladio’s voice sounded strangely low and husky in his ear. ‘For everything you’ve done today. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. And you.’

Ignis wanted to gulp as he felt the heat rising to his face, but didn’t want Gladio, whose nose was still buried somewhere between his neck and shoulder, to hear or feel it. He remained very still, never wanting this embrace to end, even as he knew that it would probably be for the best if it did.

‘Are you going to kiss now or something?’ Iris asked from her perch on the sofa, scaring Ignis straight out of Gladio’s arms. He had forgotten she was there in that blissful moment of warmth.

Gladio chuckled, running a hand through his hair. He looked at Ignis for a moment, who, for the life of him, could not fathom exactly what he was seeing in Gladio’s eyes, before the behemoth of a man bent over to pick up his sister. ‘Alright, baby girl, let’s get you home. Dad’ll be mad if I let you stay up too late. Plus, it’s not good for you.’

‘Ignis told me that sleep is what’ll help me grow up to be strong and smart like you,’ Iris piped up happily. ‘He’s really smart, so he’s probably right.’

‘That he is, sugarplum,’ Gladio smiled at his best friend. ‘Come on, Iggy. I mean it, I’m taking you home. I know the car’s in the shop, and I _know_ you’re going to try and use that as an excuse to just stay here all night with your paperwork if I don’t force you out. Take your own advice for once and get a good night’s sleep. Do it for me?’

Ignis would basically do anything for Gladio. The fact that he was only requesting Ignis go home and sleep made this particular act of devotion a rather simple one. He nodded, picking up his keys and jacket, and followed Gladio and Iris out of his office.

Ignis had finally gotten a handle on his heartbeat again when they reached the lift, a state that lasted for a full three seconds, until Gladio’s hand brushed against his. Ignis felt his breath catch in his throat at the unexpected sensation. The situation only worsened when the back of Gladio’s hand found its way to Ignis’ cheek, feeling the flushed skin there with a frown.

‘You ok, Iggy? You’re not acting like yourself,’ Gladio’s hand moved to Ignis’ forehead, pushing his hair aside to better feel for a fever. ‘Hmm, you’re not feverish. You tired?’

‘A little,’ Ignis shrugged, holding his breath to stop it from shaking as Gladio’s hand did not move from his head. Eventually he had to give in and sucked in a shaking breath, watching Gladio’s hand move away from his face and back down to his side. He chanced a look at his friend’s face and felt himself go bright red as his eyes met soft, caring amber ones. ‘Don’t worry about me, Gladio.’

‘He always does,’ Iris yawned sleepily, resting her head on her brother’s shoulder and closing her eyes. ‘He just wants to take care of you.’

‘Go to sleep, Iris,’ Gladio looked away, embarrassed.

‘What? _You_ won’t say anything, why can’t I?’ Iris mumbled sleepily.

‘Shut _up_.’

Finally, it clicked into place. Ignis stared at Gladio, taking in the averted gaze, the red cheeks, and the nervous smile. He had spent so much time trying to keep his own feelings under wraps that he had been completely blind to Gladio’s. He felt a grand warmth blossoming out from his chest and radiating to the tips of his fingers and toes. Smiling, he reached out, closing his fingers around Gladio’s palm and squeezed. Gladio looked down at their linked hands, then back up to Ignis’ face. He swallowed. ‘So uh, how much did Iris say today?’

Ignis smiled. ‘Enough. Well, not enough that it didn’t take an embarrassingly long time for me to piece it all together. I’ll admit, I was a little preoccupied trying to keep my own feelings in check.’

‘You know, I was starting to wonder if you felt the same about me,’ Gladio smiled. He twisted his hand in Ignis’, lacing their fingers together and squeezing. ‘I didn’t want to say anything, in case you weren’t ready, or if I was wrong.’

‘Far from. I simply wasn’t certain you would ever feel the same. My own sexuality was its own hurdle; I couldn’t imagine being able to suss out yours very easily.’

Gladio chuckled, doing his best not to wake Iris as she slumbered against his shoulder. ‘Let’s just say you forced me into answering some tough questions about myself. It was a tough day of introspection for sure, but it was sure as hell worth it for you.’

The lift arrived on the ground floor, and Ignis led the way out of the citadel towards where he knew Gladio always parked his car. Gladio put Iris carefully into the back seat, expertly buckling her in without waking her. He closed the door quietly and turned to Ignis, a shy expression on his face. 

‘So, uh, this isn’t really how I pictured telling you, but,’ he took a deep breath before stepping closer, hands coming up to either side of Ignis’ face before bringing their lips together in a sweet, chaste kiss. He pulled away far too soon for Ignis’ liking, but pressed their foreheads together, taking a moment to gather his words. ‘Iggy, we’ve been friends forever, but… I know it’s so much more than that. You’re smart, and kind, and just so damn hot I can’t keep my thoughts straight around you. I guess, what I’m trying to say in so many words is… I love you.’

Ignis felt his breath catch. He almost wanted to cry he was so happy. He also kind of wanted to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Finally, his brain stopped whirring, and his mouth began to work again, and he knew he’d been silent for a bit longer than was polite in light of such a declaration. He leaned forward and kissed him again, hoping to properly convey all the emotion he’d had pent up for so long. Finally, the need to breathe outweighed his need to maintain contact between his and Gladio’s lips and he pulled away, sucking in a deep breath before smiling shyly up at his best friend. ‘You could say I’ve been trying to work up the courage to say the same to you.’

Gladio smiled, brushing a hand tenderly through Ignis’ hair. ‘Dinner before I bring you home? We can drop off Iris and go to that bistro near my place.’

Ignis smiled back, leaning into Gladio’s touch. ‘I’d like that very much.’

They got into the front of the car, both taking a moment to glance back at the sleeping little girl in the back seat, knowing they owed her for the evening together they had ahead of them. Gladio knew he would never hear the end of it, but he was willing to live with it if that was the price for _finally_ having their feelings out in the open. Ignis was thankful he had been able to spend the day with Iris; not only had she led him to realise his feelings for Gladio were returned, but she had also given him one of the most enjoyable work days he had experienced in a very long time. He was already planning a batch of cutesy pink cookies and cupcakes to bring over to her in thanks. He knew Gladio were certainly appreciate all that sugar in her diet. Perhaps then he’d be spending some more time at Ignis’ apartment, not that Ignis had any sort of selfish intentions, of course. He looked sideways at his best friend, smiling as the realisation that he was quickly becoming more than just that. Looking down at the bracelets Iris had made him, his smile grew as he knew he had another best friend right here while he and Gladio moved their relationship forward.

 


End file.
